« June 2008 | Main | August 2008 »

Ventura to Appear at Paul Shadow Convention

July 31, 2008 5:33 PM

ABC's Z. Byron Wolf Reports: We already knew the bearded Grover Norquist and the bedraggled former bowtie-wearing pundit Tucker Carlson would address Texas Congressman and libertarian Republican Ron Paul's shadow convention - aka The Rally for the Republic - in Minneapolis later this summer.

But those two men, anti-tax and libertarian though they may be, are, lets face it, nerds. And the other speakers, former Congressman and Arizona political scion Barry Goldwater Jr. and legal expert Bruce Fein aren't much better. In order to harness some of that youthful energy that marked his Presidential campaign, Paul needed some star power and it seems he's got it.

In video on his website today, Paul announced that former Minneapolis Governor and professional wrestler, erstwhile Mexico surfer dude and anti-establishment independent politics rock star Jesse Ventura, even though he has ruled out a bid to shake up the US Senate race in Minnesota and is in no way a Republican, will take part in the rally.

The Rally for the Republic on Sept. 2 at the Target Center (holds 18,000 and 7,000 tickets have been sold according to a Paul staffer) in Minneapolis, is set to caps off a week of activities sponsored by Paul's new Political Action group, the Campaign for Liberty, from book signings and a concert to the "Campaign for Liberty Real Politics Training School," which is being billed to supporters as "your opportunity to learn the skills‚ strategies‚ and techniques necessary to be an effective activist‚ from top experts in the field."

July 31, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (56) | TrackBack (0)

With Favre’s Future in Doubt, Don’t Look to McCain for Mediation

July 31, 2008 4:34 PM

ABC News’s Bret Hovell reports from Racine, WI: The Iraq war, global warming, immigration, campaign finance reform: controversial issues on which John McCain has taken difficult stances throughout his career.

Just don’t ask him to mediate what’s going on a few miles north of here in Green Bay with the state’s beloved football hero, Brett Favre.

The first person McCain called on at his Wisconsin town hall-style meeting Thursday had a plan for McCain to help him win the state.

“I think you could carry Wisconsin, if you can get up and talk to Mark Murphy and Ted Thompson and resolve this dispute in Green Bay,” the man suggested to McCain, who trails his rival here by double digits in recent polls.

The crowd –- and McCain –- laughed at the proposition.

“My friends, there’s a lot of controversies that I have eagerly leapt into in my time,” McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, said. “And I did stand fifth from the bottom of my class at the Naval Academy. But I’m not so dumb that I’m going to jump into that one.”

Favre, who retired at the end of last season, changed his mind in recent weeks and decided he wanted to come back, creating a flap about who would be the starting quarterback for the team, and whether or not Favre –- an institution in Wisconsin –- could or should be traded to another team. Mark Murphy, the Packers president, and Ted Thompson the team’s general manager, have been in negotiations with the star to figure out what his future will hold.

It’s a hot topic here –- this wasn’t the first Wisconsin town hall in which McCain was asked the question about Favre coming out of retirement.

On July 11, the last time McCain was in Wisconsin, he was asked the same question. At that meeting he punted, saying that Favre could help inspire young people to be physically fit.

Thursday, though he wouldn’t take a side in the dispute, he did offer a bit of a palliative.

“One thing that we all agree on that Brett Favre has provided America and the state of Wisconsin with some of its greatest memories and I hope that we all keep that in mind as we go forward,” McCain said.

July 31, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan | Permalink | User Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

McCain: 'We're Proud of That Commercial'

July 31, 2008 2:08 PM

ABC News' David Wright reports: Who knew Paris and Britney would ever be a campaign issue???

The McCain campaign's decision to feature the women in a 30-second spot accusing rival Sen. Barack Obama of being a shallow celebrity has consumed the campaign debate today.

At a town hall meeting in Racine, Wisc., Republican Sen. John McCain tried to steer clear.  But a young voter wouldn't let him off the hook.

"It seems to me that you've flip flopped," 23 year old Obama supporter Wendy Chavours-Freeman said, referring to McCain's promises to run a clean campaign on the issues.

McCain defended the ad.  "All I can say is we’re proud of that commercial," McCain said. "We think Americans need to know that I believe that we should base this campaign on what we can do for Americans at home and how we can make Americans safe and prosperous and that’s the theme of our campaign."

"I respect and admire sen Obama, but we have stark differences," McCain said.  "And those differences need to be drawn."

"These campaigns are tough," he said, "But I'm proud of the campaign we've run."

Earlier today, McCain's campaign manager went so far as to issue a statement accusing Obama of "playing the race card."

"Barack Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck. It’s divisive, negative, shameful and wrong,” said Rick Davis in a statement.

Davis was responding to Obama's own comments Wednesday in response to the ad.  Obama told reporters: "The only way they figure they’re going to win this election is if they make you scared of me. So what they’re saying is, "Well, we know we’re not very good but you can’t risk electing Obama. You know, he’s new, he doesn’t look like the other presidents on the currency, you know, he’s got a funny name."

Today in Cedar Rapids, Obama chided McCain for raising what he considers a trivial issue: "Given the seriousness of the issues, you’d think we could have a serious debate.  But so far,  all we've been hearing about is Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. I mean, I do have to ask my opponent, is that the best you can come up with? Is that really what this election is about? Is that what is worthy of the American people?"

For his part, McCain renewed his call for frequent town hall debates with Obama, an offer Obama has so far refused.  "Yesterday in case you missed it, he wanted to have a duel.  I'm not sure what sort of weapons he had in mind," McCain chuckled.  "Why can't we just have a discussion?"

July 31, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (269) | TrackBack (0)

Sen. Kerry: McCain is 'Dead Wrong'; This is 'The Challenge of Our Generation'

July 31, 2008 1:56 PM

ABC News' Molly Hunter and Alexa Ainsworth Report: Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., called for a new framework to address the "war on terror" in the form of global counter-indoctrination that will win over hearts and minds. He went on to advocate for a counterinsurgency effort that will demonstrate what is best about America and focus less on brute force.

"It is long overdue that we, who ushered in the information age, start to fight an information struggle too," Kerry said Thursday at The Center for American Progress Action Fund, the advocacy branch of the liberal think tank, The Center for American Progress.

Kerry said the 2008 election represents "the highest stakes of all," and that whoever wins the election will have to deal urgently with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding that we are in "real danger of losing Afghanistan."

Kerry cited that there is a distinct choice in his mind, between Sen. John McCain and his "mangle[d] history" and "misstate[d] facts" and Sen. Barack Obama who brings the possibility of "the greatest era of progressive legislation since Lyndon Johnson."

In an October, 2003 memo on global terrorism, Donald Rumsfeld asked, what Kerry considered to be the "crucial question in today's challenge." Rumsfeld asked if we are in fact destroying as many terrorists as the radical fundamentalists are recruiting and deploying against us?

Five years later Kerry concluded that the answer to Rumsfeld's question is still "no" and that needs to change.

Kerry cited the recent high frequency of terrorist attacks globally, and said that military action in Afghanistan and Pakistan is clearly not sufficient. He emphasized the importance of focused efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, blaming the current impasse in Pakistan on the Bush administration's fixation on Iraq.

Kerry, an Obama supporter also blames McCain for being fixated on Iraq and took issue with McCain's April proclamation on ABC's The View, that "Afghanistan is not in trouble because of our diversion to Iraq." Kerry characterized McCain's recent judgments as "dead wrong," and said that Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan is the "challenge of our generation."

He stressed the importance of the survival of a democratically elected Pakistani government and the inescapable interconnectedness with Afghanistan, advocating for an immediate adjustment in the way the U.S. approaches Al Qaeda battlegrounds.

Overall, Kerry believes that the strategy used to fight the "war on terror" needs to be broadened.

"Focusing on winning a war of ideas as opposed to just killing terrorists will not only enable us to defeat our enemies but will restore our ability to have a positive impact on change in other areas."

July 31, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred, Veepstakes | Permalink | User Comments (33) | TrackBack (0)

Sen. Stevens Enters Not Guilty Plea

July 31, 2008 1:09 PM

ABC News' Matt Jaffe and Theresa Cook Report:  At his Thursday afternoon arraignment before a federal judge, Sen. Ted Stevens pleaded not guilty to charges that he concealed $250,000 worth of gifts he received from an oil services company.

Stevens, the longest-serving Republican Senator, did not speak during his appearance in the packed courtroom, but his attorney, Brendan V. Sullivan Jr., told U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan that his client wished to plead not guilty.  After the plea was entered, a relaxed-looking Stevens took a seat while lawyers began to hammer out the pre-trial details.

After a 30-minute recess, Judge Sullivan ruled that Stevens could be released on his own recognizance, but ordered him to surrender his passport.  The court tentatively set the trial for September 24.

"This is not a complex case," Stevens' attorney said before the break, as he requested that the trial be expedited so the Senator could have the opportunity to clear his name before the November election.

Stevens, one of 18 Republican Senators running for reelection this year, will attempt to fend off a challenge for the seat he's held since 1968 from likely opponent Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage. 

Attorney Sullivan had also asked for a change of venue to Alaska, noting that 90 percent of the case's witnesses reside in that state and the activities in question occurred there, but prosecutor Brenda Morris argued that a move would be "inappropriate." 

The defense is expected to file a formal request on the matter, and the judge said he'll consider the request at an August 19 hearing.

A swarm of media surrounded the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. in anticipation of the Alaska Republican's appearance, but Stevens, wearing a light gray suit, pale blue shirt and dark blue tie, did not speak to reporters as he entered or exited the building.

On Tuesday, a federal grand jury handed down a seven-count indictment, charging that Stevens received $250,000 worth of gifts from the now-defunct Alaska firm VECO, but did not report them on financial disclosure forms he is required to submit to the secretary of the Senate. 

The company and its CEO allegedly paid for major renovations to Stevens' Girdwood, Alaska home, participated in a car swap with the Senator in which he received a significantly more valuable vehicle that the one he put up in the trade, and outfitted his home with a professional grill, tool cabinet and furniture, according to the indictment.

Stevens, the longest-serving Senator in his party, is the 11th sitting U.S. Senator to be indicted in American history. 

He released a statement on Tuesday, declaring his innocence and stating his contention that he has never deliberately filed a false disclosure form. 

Federal agents raided the Girdwood home last July as part of their investigation into alleged public corruption in Alaska.  The inquiry, launched in 2004, has resulted in seven convictions to date, including those of former VECO executives and Alaska state lawmakers.

If convicted of making false statements, Stevens could face a maximum of five years in prison for each of the seven felony counts.

Stevens relinquished his leadership positions in the Senate after he was indicted, but conducted business as usual on Capitol Hill Wednesday, attending meetings and a Senate floor vote.

ABC News' Jake Tapper and Z. Byron Wolf contributed to this report.

July 31, 2008 in Veepstakes | Permalink | User Comments (17) | TrackBack (0)

Bush Talks Retirement In WV but Claims 'Not a Farewell Address'

July 31, 2008 12:32 PM

ABC News’ Jennifer Duck reports:  President Bush discussed energy and the economy with the West Virginia Coal Association today, but as the race for the next president gets more heated by the hour, many of Bush’s talking points turned to his upcoming departure in January.

“As you know, I'm fixing to retire in about six months,” Bush said in his opening remarks as the crowd laughed.  “But I'm going to sprint to the finish.  And part of that sprint to the finish will be to continue to remind the American people that we need to be realistic and have common sense, about today’s energy needs and tomorrow's energy needs.”

Pushing his domestic energy agenda, as he has done all week, Bush stressed the importance of coal and nuclear energy, and reiterated his frustrations with the democratic-led Congress who leave this week for a month without passing energy legislation.

“There's a lot of frustration building up, and people are looking at Washington to actually do something constructive,” Bush told the crowd. 

“I asked the Congress to lift the legislative ban in June and to allow there to be, you know, offshore exploration,” Bush continued. “Tomorrow's the first of August.  That is now six weeks since I made the request, and the Democratic leaders there hadn't done anything.  I -- members are fixing to go home on their August break.  They get to explain to their citizens why nothing positive has happened.  Looking forward to listening to the explanations.”

President Bush addressed the economic numbers out today admitting the GDP rate wasn’t as robust as economists had hoped but credited the stimulus package for the growth from the slow first quarter.

“We got some good news today, encouraging news, not great news, but encouraging news:  that in the second quarter the economy grew at a rate of 1.9 percent,” Bush said.  “Now, you know, it's not as good as we'd like it to be, but I want to remind you, a few months ago, there were predictions and -- that the economy would shrink this quarter, not grow.  But in fact the opposite has happened.  As a matter of fact, it's more than double the rate we saw in the first quarter.  That's positive.”

He ended with a bit of nostalgia and what sounded like a farewell before quickly reinserting his famous “sprint to the finish” line.

“This is a compassionate, decent, fantastic country.  And it's been my honor to be your president for seven-and-a-half years.  I'm proud to be here with you.  I'm proud to call you friends,” Bush said.  “This is not a farewell address.  I'm sprinting to the finish.”

July 31, 2008 in Veepstakes, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

McCain on Taxes: Trying to Have it Both Ways?

July 31, 2008 12:09 PM

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: Sen. John McCain has spent much of the week trying to explain his exchange on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” where he left the door open to raising taxes as part of a potential deal with Democrats on Social Security.

“There is nothing I would take off the table,” McCain said Sunday.

By mid-week, after the fiscal conservative group Club for Growth expressed outrage that he wouldn’t flatly rule out a tax increase, McCain, R-Ariz., seemed to clean up his answer.

“No,” he said curtly on Tuesday, when asked by a little girl in Nevada whether he’d raise taxes as president.

On Wednesday, he was even more explicit, offering his own twist on George H.W. Bush’s famous “read my lips” formulation.

“I want to look you in the eye: I will not raise your taxes nor support a tax increase. I will not do it,” McCain said at a town-hall meeting in Aurora, Colo., in the midst of an attack on Sen. Barack Obama on taxes, per ABC’s Bret Hovell.

But just hours later, he appeared to open another crack in his no-new-taxes pledge.

“In any negotiation that I might have, when I go in, my position will be that I am opposed to raising taxes. But we have to work together to save Social Security,” McCain said at a fundraiser Wednesday evening in Kansas City.

Pressed repeatedly in an interview with local reporters Wednesday, McCain said several times that he couldn’t rule anything out when it comes to Social Security.

“I’ve been involved in Washington in many negotiations on issues, whether it be immigration or campaign-finance reform or issues before the Commerce Committee. You go in with a position and you negotiate,” McCain said. “My position is that I’m against increased taxes, and my record shows that I have opposed tax increases and been in favor of tax cuts.”

McCain added: “My position going in in negotiations is I’m against tax increases, and I have not been supportive of tax increases, and we will negotiate and you have to negotiate in good faith.”

July 31, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan | Permalink | User Comments (27) | TrackBack (0)

VEEPBEAT: The Prediction Market

July 31, 2008 11:32 AM

ABC News' Howard L. Rosenberg and Jan Crawford Greenburg report: Tim Kaine's stock is on the rise.  Literally.  In brisk trading on the prediction market---where investors buy and sell contracts that bet on the future fortunes of politicians---Kaine's price has skyrocketed in just the past few days.

"The movement in his odds is easily the biggest movement of anyone so far," in the race for the vice presidential nod according to Justin Wolfers, a business professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an expert on predictions.  "I’m rather struck by the size of this shift," Wolfers says in his distinctive Australian accent.

Wolfers, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, is an expert in so-called "prediction markets." These markets allow investors to buy and sell contracts with real dollar values and essentially bet on how events will turn out—from who will win an Emmy, or whether or not it will rain tomorrow, or who will be the nominees for vice president.  Wolfers, who has spent years studying the prediction markets, believes they more accurately forecast events of all kinds than polls, pundits, scientific instruments, surveys or educated guesswork.

"The relevant question is not whether prediction markets are always right," said Wolfers, "but whether they are 'more right' -- or more often right -- than alternative approaches."

In a matter of days, since Kaine’s name gained currency on many Obama vice presidential candidates’ short lists, the price of a Kaine contract on the prediction market InTrade has risen thirty points.

Wolfers explains that the market is indicating the "short lists" for both Obama and McCain appear to be coalescing around front runners. 

For Obama, the data indicates traders are betting on Kaine, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.  As it’s become clear that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is not under serious consideration, her stock has plummeted. 

Wolfers points out though, that the market has also provided a few hidden clues.  Kaine's rapid rise in trading should "have come at the expense of someone else.  But Bayh (and the price of his stock) is completely unaffected by what has happened.  Kaine's rise has not hurt Bayh at all."

Sebelius' stock is also on the rise and the price of a contract betting on Biden has taken a slight hit. 

A month ago, the best bet on either the Democratic or Republican side was on "the field," or none of the above.  If you examine the current field contract on the Democratic side it's trading at 46.  The two most important candidates missing are Sebelius and Kaine.  Between them, Wolfers explains, "they account for all of the other category."

"This is a sign," Wolfers adds cautiously.  "I feel uneasy about what the market is telling me.  But given my views, it's going to be Kaine, Bayh, Biden or Sebelius.  The market has not moved this dramatically before."

On the Republican side there's a lot less movement, much less trading on the prediction markets.  Part of that is likely accounted for by less media attention on the McCain campaign.  At the same time though, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a frequent short-lister, has had a good week.  His stock has gone up from 20 to 33.

Mitt Romney is the other potential VP whose stock has been consistently high, now trading even with Pawlenty. 

The surprise on the GOP side would be Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose stock went from 12 to 20 this week.   

There's little trading in stock in former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge or the other dark horse possibility for McCain, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman. 

Wolfers says, on the Republican side too, it's a pretty good bet one of the leaders in the prediction market will be the nominee.   

But what’s the safest bet of all?  Well, political parties traditionally like to surprise the electorate to help gin up excitement and buzz with a vice presidential pick.  So again, the way to be sure you'll make money is to sell off contracts on individual leaders and bet on the field to include none-of-the-above. 

July 31, 2008 in Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Clinton Supporter Angered By 'Other Women' Obama VP Talk

July 31, 2008 9:52 AM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker reports: A longtime friend of Sen. Hillary Clinton said it's "incomprehensible" that Sen. Barack Obama would choose another woman to be his vice-presidential candidate over Sen. Hillary Clinton.

"The selection of either one of those instead of Sen. Clinton I would find completely incomprehensible," said Lanny Davis of rumored Obama vice-presidential contenders Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Davis is a former special counsel to President Bill Clinton and a longtime friend of Sen. Hillary Clinton's dating back to their time at Yale Law School.

"If anyone thinks that picking a woman will simply placate Hillary Clinton's female supporters, I think that's very patronizing to women and i don't think that that either Gov. Sebelius or Sen. McCaskill would disagree," said Davis, who penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Thursday titled "Why Obama Should Pick Hillary."

Davis said he hasn't met either Sebelius or McCaskill and said he admires them, but Clinton is more qualified.

"She helps him more and she's more qualified," Davis said of Clinton, "Therefore, why would he pick two females, both who are very admirable public servants, why would you pick them over her?"

Davis, a longtime friend of Clinton, said he isn't speaking for Clinton and doesn't know if she truly wants to be vice-president. Though Davis said she recently called him when he was ill.

Davis said he hasn't given up on the "dream" of an Obama-Clinton ticket, though he said he has abandoned his early effort after Obama won the primary to get Clinton supporters to sign a petition urging Obama to pick Clinton as his running-mate.

However other Clinton supporters seem less confident in an Obama-Clinton ticket.

Two former Clinton campaign staffers who started the website VoteBoth.com to urge Obama to choose Clinton as his running-mate is shutting down under the assumption she's not on his short-list of vice-presidential candidates.

Obama's vice-presidential shortlist is being closely help by the campaign.

"We're not commenting about the nominee selection process," Obama spokesperson Bill Burton told ABC News.com.

Obama spent hours this week meeting with the co-chairs of his vice presidential committee search team Eric Holder and Caroline Kennedy.

Likely Democratic vice-presidential contenders include Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Indiana Sen. Even Bayh, Sen. Joe Biden, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and Sebelius, a two-term governor of a red state, and McCaskill, a first-time senator from a battleground state who is close to Obama.

McCaskill campaigned with Obama in Missouri Wednesday, but she has said she's not being vetted and sources close to her describe her role as a close personal advisor rather than a possible veep candidate. Meanwhile, Sebelius sidestepped questions Wednesday about whether she is being considered.

Obama may try to solidify his support among women voters thought key in November by picking a woman as his running-mate. 

Clinton, who lost her bid to be the Democratic Party's first woman presidential candidate, won 52 percent of Democratic women voters during the primaries. However Obama is leading McCain 54-39 percent in support from likely women voters, according to the latest ABC News poll.

But Davis argued Obama's poll numbers increase with Clinton as his running-mate, citing two June polls from Wall Street Journal/NBC and Fox/Opinion Dynamics.   

"Even they wouldn't contend, I believe, that they would be more helpful to Sen. Obama on the ticket than Hillary Clinton," Davis said of Sebelius and McCaskill.

ABC News' Matt Jaffe contributed to this report.

July 31, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Romney, Mitt, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (348) | TrackBack (0)

Bush Says Troop Tours to be Reduced

July 31, 2008 8:41 AM

ABC News' Yunji de Nies reports: President Bush announced this morning that beginning tomorrow, US troop tours in Iraq will be reduced from 15 months to 12 months.

"The progress in Iraq has allowed us to continue our policy of return on success," the President said from the Colonnade outside the Oval Office, "We have now brought home all five of the combat brigades and the three Marine units that were sent to Iraq as part of the surge. The last of these surge brigades returned home this month."

The President gave a brief status report on the Iraq war, now in its sixth year, laying out a picture of progress.

"We are now in our third consecutive month with reduced violence levels holding steady," he said, noting that violence there is at it's lowest level since the spring of 2004.

Mr. Bush said that the two governments are continuing to negotiate a Strategic Framework Agreement.  That agreement sets the terms for US Forces in Iraq, after the United Nations mandate expires on December 31, 2008.  The administration had hoped to have an agreement by July 31st, but has not met that goal.

The President warned that strategic gains are still reversible.  "We remain a nation at war," he said. "Al-Qaeda is on the run in Iraq, but the terrorists remain dangerous."

July 31, 2008 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (40) | TrackBack (0)

The Note: Will McCain’s Attacks Backfire?

July 31, 2008 8:29 AM

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports in Thursday's Note: When Britney and Paris were thrust into the campaign, it was not a happy day in Obamaland. 

Which is not the same as suggesting that it was a banner day for Team McCain.

It was a day where Sen. John McCain’s campaign -- maybe for the first time in the general election -- found a coherent argument to effectively push. (Though it might not have been the argument McCain himself wants/needs.)

It was a day that made Steve Schmidt’s team whirl with Rove-like efficiency. (And made John Weaver stir with un-Rove-like alacrity.)

It was a day that may have forced Sen. Barack Obama into a rare unforced error.  (Yet may have forced McCain into the box he’s been avoiding.)

Read the rest of The Note -- and get all the latest on the 2008 election, Congress, the White House and the wide world of politics every day -- from Rick Klein by bookmarking this link.

It was a day when a quote -- however mischaracterized -- placed an exclamation point on a narrative. (Maybe two narratives, actually.)

"The new McCain ad depicts Obama as a celebrity akin to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton -- pretty, pampered . . . not up for being president," ABC’s Jake Tapper reported on "Good Morning America" Thursday. “Now Obama is casting McCain -- who already has a reputation for having a temper -- as negative and angry.”

Humor is humor, but there are other ways to make the same points about inexperience/riskiness/otherness -- frames that haven’t been fully constructed yet.

The ad marks a critical point of concession: McCain is saying that the campaign isn’t really about him, after all. And if he keeps this up, winning the presidency will continue to be far more about tearing Obama down than building himself up.

"John McCain's campaign gave its clearest signal yet that its main focus right now isn't talking about the presumed Republican nominee," Bob Drogin and Peter Nicholas write in the Los Angeles Times. "Instead, it is trying to shape the public image of Obama -- in this case, by comparing him to two celebrities who are widely mocked as lacking substance."

(Was it a necessary concession? Sure, the campaign has been waged on Obama’s terms to date, but things are tight as ever in new polling in battleground states.)

Continue reading today's Note by clicking HERE.

ABC News' John Santucci and Alexa Ainsworth contributed to this report.

July 31, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Romney, Mitt, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred, Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (38) | TrackBack (0)

Clinton and Obama Address Labor Convention

July 31, 2008 7:50 AM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker reports: Sen. Hillary Clinton is expected to appear and speak in person Thursday in San Francisco, California before 6,000 labor activists at the annual convention of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

"We were the strongest supporters of Sen. Clinton during the Democratic primary," AFSCME spokesperson Gregory King told ABC News.com, "and now Clinton is coming to thank us for our support and ask us to support Sen. Barack Obama."

Obama will speak to the group via satellite from Cedar Rapids, Iowa following Clinton's remarks.

"She's coming to basically set the table for him to speak to us," King said.

AFSCME endorsed Obama for President on June 19, 2008. The union group has 1.4 million members.

July 31, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Romney, Mitt, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (19) | TrackBack (0)

Kaine: Keep Roe, Hussein Needed to Go

July 31, 2008 5:44 AM

ABC News' Ayana Harry and Teddy Davis report: In an hour-long interview with PBS’s Charlie Rose Wednesday, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine outlined his views on national and international matters including abortion and the war in Iraq.

Kaine, a Roman Catholic who worked as a missionary in Honduras reiterated his personal opposition to abortion, but maintained the practice should not be outlawed.

When asked if he’d like to see the Supreme Court overturn Roe the Governor answered, “I don't think the Supreme Court should.” He continued, “Roe vs. Wade is ultimately about saying that there is a realm of personal liberty for people to make this decision.”

While saying that he supports Roe and that he does not want to criminalize abortion, Kaine voiced support for three abortion restrictions.

He backs a parental consent law in Virginia which has a judicial bypass. He supports a ban on "partial birth abortions so long as there is an exception for the life and health of the mother". The Obama vice presidential prospect also favors an "informed consent provision" in Virginia which requires abortion providers to "give women information about a whole series of things, the health consequences, et cetera, and information about adoption." 

"Those, I have supported," said Kaine.  "But I don't think ultimately we ought to be criminalizing abortion."

Kaine demurred when asked about the vetting process and where the Obama campaign may be in their decision for a vice-presidential candidate, telling Rose, “I really don't know anything about the timing or circumstances and how they're whittling through the potential candidates.  There's a lot of good folks out there that I'm sure they're considering.”

Governor Kaine also discussed the 2003 U. S. invasion of Iraq, describing the Bush administration’s case for military intervention as “very, very flimsy” and “maneuvering the vote in Congress around an election cycle.” 

Kaine said he agreed with the Bush administration that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein should be ousted but disagreed with the U.S.-led invasion.

“Clearly, Saddam Hussein was terrorizing his own population.  And there was, I think a good rationale to work broadly with a coalition of nations, first through diplomacy, than through sanctions to try to get him to not terrorize his own people.  But the U.S. advocated their own rationales,” he said.

The Charlie Rose interview with Kaine was scheduled prior to Tuesday when The Washington Post reported that Kaine told associates that he has had "very serious" conversations with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., about joining the Democratic presidential ticket.

July 31, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis, Romney, Mitt, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Obama Says McCain's Negative Shift Is a Sign of Problems

July 30, 2008 9:19 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama capitalized on Sen. John McCain's ad today, saying the Arizona Republican's perceived negative shift is a sign of problems in McCain's campaign.

"You haven’t heard a positive thing out of that campaign in a month," Obama said during a picnic in Unity, Mo. "All they do is try to run me down and you know this in your own life -- if somebody doesn’t have anything nice to say about anybody, that means they’ve got some problems of their own."

McCain released a new ad today comparing Obama, the Illinois Democrat, to celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

"The latest one they’ve got me in an ad with Paris Hilton," Obama said with a laugh. "I've never met the woman."

The Obama campaign quickly responded with an ad of its own, calling McCain's attack the "low road." At a town hall earlier today in Rolla, Mo., Obama said he hasn't seen an ad yet where McCain talks about his plan for the country.

The McCain campaign defended its ad.

"Pointing out your opponent’s worldwide celebrity is not the ‘low road,' and neither is pointing out that he opposes oil drilling and supports higher taxes," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement.

At each of his three stops throughout Republican-dominated southwest Missouri today, Obama included criticisms of McCain, President Bush and the Republican party.

July 30, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (72) | TrackBack (0)

McCain's New Strategy

July 30, 2008 7:59 PM

ABC News' Jan Crawford Greenburg Reports: McCain's tough new "celebrity" ad campaign, designed to portray Obama as an empty suit who -- like Paris Hilton -- is devoid of substance, is the first part of a broader strategy that ultimately could have ramifications for McCain's VP selection.

The campaign will continue to hit hard that Obama is not an agent of change -- but a man who merely plays to his audience and is unwilling to risk losing his adoring crowds by making the tough decisions. This is only the first volley, sources close to McCain tell ABC News.

There's a bigger point -- and this initial volley, they say, lays the groundwork for it. They will be sharpening McCain's message that he, not Obama, is the true change agent, a man who's repeatedly taken unpopular stands, made the hard calls and forged bipartisan alliances.

Part of the calculus now is how his VP choice will further sharpen that message. There is significant support among top McCain advisers that he make a "transformative" pick who would change the Republican Party -- someone who would appeal to moderate Republicans and Democrats.

This pick would be someone who, like McCain, has taken the unpopular stands, made the hard calls and stood firm on principle.

A person who fills that bill, these advisers say, is Joe Lieberman.

Lieberman, an Independent Democrat, flatly denied his interest to ABC's Ron Claiborne earlier this month, but McCain is now seriously considering him as that "transformative" pick, sources tell ABC News.

McCain is close to Lieberman, admires his willingness to stand alone on principle and shares his views that Islamo-fascism is the most serious threat to the nation's future.

What's more, some McCain advisers believe Lieberman would dramatically enhance the point they are now trying to make about Obama in this "celebrity" ad campaign.

McCain and Lieberman are anti-celebrities, the argument goes. They have, as one top adviser said, felt the heat after taking unpopular positions because they were willing to do "what's right for the country" -- whatever it meant for their own popularity.

Tom Ridge also would be that kind of pick -- and he, too, is on McCain's very short list, sources say. As a Republican who was Bush's director of Homeland Security, he is less dramatic than Lieberman. He also ran into some problems at Homeland Security with his color-coding system.

But as a moderate pro-choice politician and former Pennsylvania governor, he, too, could make a statement--and open the Party to moderates who now are up for grabs.

And looking at the map, Ridge also could deliver Pennsylvania -- a state McCain badly needs.

McCain has not decided which route to take. The transformative pick would anger a slice of the base, and he could decide, at the end of the day, to pick the conventional conservative.

That would be Mitt Romney, Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty or former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman, sources tell ABC News.

But of those three, only Pawlenty would help with McCain's "change" message.

Romney, a flip-flopper extraordinaire,  is vulnerable to the "celebrity" tag himself--and Portman is defined as Bush's budget director.

July 30, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (144) | TrackBack (0)

Romney: "I Don't Expect to be a Part of It"

July 30, 2008 4:28 PM

ABC New's Matt Stuart Reports: It's all about expectations.

At least, many political strategists would argue campaigning depends on just that: expectations.  And after perfecting the art in a yearlong primary campaign, former Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is again trying to manage expectations, only this time, it's the veepstakes.

Appearing on Denver Radio station 850 KOA Wednesday, Romney claimed he didn't expect to join presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain's ticket.  "I think there's some great people he could choose from," Romney said, "and I expect he will do that.   But I don't plan on being part of the ticket."

Romney, in fact, has said as much for some time.  Appearing on CNN earlier this month, Romney said "I expect to support the administration and the McCain team.  I don't expect to be part of it."  Of course, in the speculation-filled world that is the vice presidential process, even no news can be news.

Lest you think Romney is truly out of the running, the former MA. Gov. also stated today that "any Republican who was offered the chance to be VP would certainly serve their party and serve our nominee."

But today's interview also displayed the pitfalls of Romney-as-McCain-surrogate following their bitter primary battle. 

Today, Romney argued that the election will boil down to John McCain's experience as a person who "knows what it takes to strengthen the economy."

In January, as Romney and McCain fought for votes in Florida, Romney was singing a very different tune.  At that time, Romney focused his attacks on McCain statement that he "still need[ed] to be educated" on the economy.

On the day of the Florida primary, Romney argued with only a hint of subtly, "One of the candidates out there running for president said that the economy is not his strong suit; well, it's my strong suit."

July 30, 2008 in Palin, Sarah, Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (54) | TrackBack (0)

Obama: McCain Trying to Make Voters 'Scared' of Me

July 30, 2008 2:13 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: While campaigning in a traditionally Republican district, Sen. Barack Obama attempted to beat back rumors about him– telling the Springfield, Missouri crowd that Republicans and Sen. McCain are trying to make voters “scared” of him because they don’t have another strategy.

“Nobody thinks that Bush or McCain have a real answer for the challenges we face. So what they are going to try to do is make you scared of me,” Obama warned, “You know he's not patriotic enough. He's got a funny name. You know, he doesn't look like all of those other presidents on the dollar bills.”

Obama said the only strategy McCain has is to paint him as a “risky” candidate.

“He's risky - that's the argument,” an exasperated Obama said, “Seriously, that's basically the argument. It's like, well we don't have very much to offer but he's risky.”

The presumptive democratic nominee said what is far riskier, in his mind, is doing the same thing over – again relating McCain with President Bush.

“The question you have to ask yourself is - what's more risky? Going ahead and bringing about changes that we know that we have to make, in order to ensure that our children have a better future. Or doing the same things over and over again even though we know they don't work,” Obama asked the crowd, “We are in a time right now where it is too risky not to change.”

Obama is campaigning with Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill throughout the day, who also attempted to push back against Republican talking points during her introduction.

“They say that he's arrogant. That he's unpatriotic. Blah blah blah,” McCaskill said, “I know this man. He is humble. He is devoutly Christian. He loves his family more than anything else in the world. He cares about families. He reveres our men and women in uniform. And he is as red, white and blue as you could possibly get.”

In addition to pushing back against criticisms and questions over risk value – a feisty Obama also came loaded for bear in his first town hall since his overseas trip – attacking McCain on taxes.

Obama jokingly claimed that Wild Bill Hickock, a famous old Western gunslinger, was a distant cousin of his so McCain should be on the alert.

“I'm ready to duel John McCain on taxes. Right now, right here. I'm a quick draw,” Obama quipped.

“They're going to say,  'He's a tax and spend liberal Democrat’,” Obama warned, “But it's the same ad over and over again. So let me be absolutely clear: If you are a family making less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes go up.”

By comparison, Obama said that one quarter of McCain’s tax cuts would go to people making millions of dollars a year.

July 30, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis, Romney, Mitt, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (191) | TrackBack (0)

Gov. Richardson to Hold Two Fundraisers for Sen. Clinton

July 30, 2008 1:27 PM

ABC News' Sarah Amos Reports: Governor Bill Richardson is doing his part to unite the Democratic party today, announcing he will hold two August fundraisers for Senator Hillary Clinton in his home state of New Mexico.

A press release sent out by the Governor's office Wednesday states Richardson, a former candidate for the Democratic nomination himself, will hold two invitation-only events on August 17th.  One event in Santa Fe will be hosted by Dave Contarino, Governor Richardson's former campaign manager and long time strategist.  The second event will take place in Albuquerque and will be hosted by a well-known New Mexico businessman.  Clinton will be in attendance for both fundraisers.

The Governor, who is "an ardent supporter of Senator Obama," according to the press release, will preside over both events with his Lt. Governor, Diane Denish.

"Senator Clinton is grateful for Governor Richardson's and Senator Obama's efforts to assist with retiring her campaign debt and she is looking forward to continuing to campaign for Senator Obama and help ensure victory for Democrats throughout the country this fall," said Clinton spokeswoman Kathleen Strand in the release.

And of course, to prove just how unified they all are, Obama spokesman Bill Burton was also quoted in the press release stating, "Governor Richardson's efforts reinforce Senator Obama's commitment to unifying the Democratic Party and assisting Senator Clinton's effort to retire her campaign debt."

Richardson has often been one of the strongest voices to call for party unity among Democrats.  In fact, while addressing the Democratic Leadership Council in Chicago last month, Richardson promised he would be involved in helping to retire Clinton's debt.  A promise he is now making good on.   

And while this show of support is something all Democrats welcome, the hard feelings between Richardson and the Clintons still lingers in many political minds. 

A cloud of endorsement speculation surrounded Richardson after he ended his own presidential bid.   Richardson was heavily wooed by both sides, with former President Bill Clinton even flying to New Mexico to watch the Super Bowl with the Governor. 

In the end Richardson chose to endorse Obama.  The decision not only ruptured his relationship with the Clintons, but lead to James Carville calling him "judas" in interviews. Perhaps these fundraisers will be the first step towards a reconciliation. 

July 30, 2008 in Bush, George W., Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (51) | TrackBack (0)

Stevens: Life Imitating Legislation

July 30, 2008 12:53 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf reports: Sen. Ted Stevens, who until yesterday was the ranking republican on Senate subcommittee charged with overseeing Disaster Recovery, is dealing with his own legal disaster by going about his business as usual.

He may be under a cloud, facing arraignment in federal court tomorrow on seven counts of corruption for failing to report gifts he received from an oil company, but the longest sitting Republican is not in hiding.

He started his day on the Hill attending a business meeting for the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

Stevens, who is accused with improperly accepting gifts from an oil company by failing to disclose them, spoke at the meeting today on the unrelated by serendipitously titled "Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2008."  The bill, which seeks to cut down on tax dollars improperly paid out by federal agencies, was passed out of committee by voice vote.

Later, Sen. Stevens  was on the Senate floor, where he voted along with Republican colleagues against invoking cloture on a bill that would create a federal law to protect journalists from having to disclose the identities of their sources in federal court some instances.

On the Senate floor, Stevens made the rounds of Senators as they voted. He shook hands with Republican Sens. John Warner of Virginia and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. He spoke with Sen. Robert Byrd for a moment and with Sen. Daniel Inouye, two of the three Democrats who have served longer in the Senate than him.

Stevens spoke for several minutes with Sen. Larry Craig, Republican of Idaho, who had his own legal problems last year.

As Stevens left the floor and entered the Republican cloakroom, it seemed from the press gallery that he motioned to Warner and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-KS, with his fist raised that he would fight.

He also opposed cloture vote on the motion to proceed to a bill that would extend popular tax credits.

Republicans are opposing consideration of the bills as a protest against Democrats, who have refused to allow open consideration and amendment of bills that would allow increased drilling off American shores, although Republicans stripped proposals for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve

Stevens, whose personal legal catastrophe began when employees for the now-defunct oil company VECO helped him better his housing situation with hundreds of thousands of dollars of improvements, could then have headed across the Capitol where the Disaster Recovery Subcommittee was holding a hearing on how to deal with "post-catastrophe housing needs."

But as of now, no sign of him at that hearing yet.

July 30, 2008 in Veepstakes | Permalink | User Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

Negative Ad Wars Over Obama 'Celeb' Status

July 30, 2008 12:50 PM

ABC News' David Wright reports: The McCain campaign says its new ad comparing Barack Obama with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton is fair and balanced.  The Obama campaign and its supporters clearly don't agree.

“It’s beyond dispute that he has become the biggest celebrity in the world,” McCain campaign strategist Steve Schmidt explained to reporters today.  "But do the American people really want to elect the biggest celebrity in the world?"

Asked why the campaign chose these particular celebrities to compare with Obama, campaign manager Rick Davis answered matter of factly, as though the comparison were obvious and indisputable: "What we decided to do was find the top three international celebrities in the world.  Britney and Paris came in second and third," he said.

But perhaps the Hilton family won't appreciate the irony of the ad? Those political junkies over at TMZ.com discovered that Rick and Kathy Hilton, parents to Paris, are McCain donors.

The Obama campaign initially responded to the ad with a twist on a Britney Spears classic.  Said spokesman Tommy Vietor: “On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Senator McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, ‘Oops! He did it again.’"

And later this afternoon, the Obama campaign fired back with a new ad of its own. See it HERE.

The Obama campaign ad ignored the pop princess comparisons and instead hammered at McCain for his "attacks on Obama" and taking "the low road." Under a photograph of McCain with President George Bush the narrator says: "John McCain. Same old politics.  Same failed policies."

McCain campaign officials say they are not worried that voters may perceive the ad as another negative attack from their candidate.  Or as sour grapes that their candidate, who has traveled widely, does not seem to draw such large crowds.

“I’d love to think that john McCain was a big international celebrity, but he’s not," Davis said.  "We see him more as a global leader than a global celebrity.”

UPDATE: Tit for tat, Obama supporters are firing back at the McCain campaign for comparing their candidate to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton in a new campaign ad -- pointing to McCain's penchant for wearing $520 Ferragamo designer shoes.

"I'm just saying if you want to launch attacks about celebrity and out of touch, maybe you shouldn't do it while wearing $520 shoes," Eddie Vale of the DC-based Progressive Accountability.org emailed reporters.

Vale included an item from the Huffington Post website highlighting the swish new loafers McCain has been sporting on the campaign trail. 

For instance, he wore them to his meeting with the Dalai Lama and during his ill-fated visit to a Bethlehem, PA, grocery store when jars of Mott's Applesauce knocked over by a stock clerk went toppling to the floor right next to McCain.

Luckily for the candidate, the applesauce appeared to miss the Italian calfskin loafers.

As Huffington Post points out, McCain's black monk strap "Pregiato Moccasins" feature "tonal topstitching, silvertone hardware, and a Gancini bit and strap over vamp" (whatever that means).  They're made by the Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo and retail at Niemann-Marcus for $520.

"What better way to show his American pride than to tour the country in Italian leather?" chided Huffington Post blogger Isabel Wilkinson.

(Full disclosure: I also happen to be wearing Ferragamo loafers today.  But I got them on sale in Milan some years ago.  And I certainly didn't spend $520.)

July 30, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (816) | TrackBack (0)

McCain Gets Clean Bill of Health

July 30, 2008 9:01 AM

ABC News' Bret Hovell Reports: The biopsy from a small piece of skin removed Monday from Sen. John McCain's right temple has tested negative for cancer, according to a statement released by the Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

"The biopsy that was performed did not show any evidence of skin cancer," the statement read. "No further treatment is necessary."

McCain recently visited his dermatologist for a regular checkup and the procedure to remove a spot on his right temple was deemed routine for a four-time melanoma survivor.

McCain spent a full day campaigning Monday and Tuesday and expressed no concern about the spot when he was asked Monday.

When asked if his doctor was confident the spot was benign, McCain said: "sure, sure, absolutely." 

July 30, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

The Note: Obama, McCain See Brands Diminish

July 30, 2008 8:23 AM

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports in Wednesday's Note: If you look carefully through those tubes, you can see why Sen. Chuck Schumer is thinking about the big Six-Oh.

If you look carefully at the news cycle’s latest popular kid, you can determine how new Gov. Tim Kaine and his friends are at this veepstakes thing.

If you look not-so-carefully at what President Bill Clinton is up to, you might forgive him for missing the perks of the presidency.

If you look carefully at what Sen. John McCain is doing and saying, you can measure how much twisting straight talk can survive.

If you look carefully at what Sen. Barack Obama is doing and saying, you can watch his self-image swell to fill the mold being fitted for him. (And hey -- the inevitability thing worked SO well in the primaries . . . )

Some of the most interesting looking centers on Obama: Secret meetings, a bizarrely vague public schedule, sit-downs with the Fed chairman and the new Pakistani prime minister, all after a heralded foreign trip?

Read the rest of The Note -- and get all the latest on the 2008 election, Congress, the White House and the wide world of politics every day -- from Rick Klein by bookmarking this link.

You might say he's measuring the drapes -- but that assumes he hasn't ordered new windows.

The latest entry in the (bulging) Obama files: "This is the moment . . . that the world is waiting for," he told House Democrats Tuesday night, per The Washington Post's Jonathan Weisman. "I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions."

(Read that sentence again, and try to imagine how it would look if it was said on camera.)

Obama may be right (and if he is, he wins) -- but the first personal singular is the most dangerous of tenses, particularly when the meme is being set. Toss in a jettisoned faux-presidential seal, a canceled visit with troops, maybe a sprinkling of broken promises, and you've got enough to weave an uncomfortable yet unforgettable suit.

With a public schedule that "would have made Dick Cheney envious," this is Obama going from presumptive to presumptuous, Dana Milbank writes in his Washington Post column.

"Some say the supremely confident Obama -- nearly 100 days from the election, he pronounces that 'the odds of us winning are very good' -- has become a president-in-waiting," Milbank writes. "But in truth, he doesn't need to wait: He has already amassed the trappings of the office, without those pesky decisions."

Continue reading today's Note by clicking HERE.

ABC News' John Santucci, Alexa Ainsworth and Amanda Temple contributed to this report.

July 30, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (32) | TrackBack (0)

Bush Signs Massive Housing Bill

July 30, 2008 8:00 AM

ABC News' Ann Compton and Julia Hoppock Report: Shortly after 7 am today President Bush signed a massive housing bill that will provide relief for more than 400,000 homeowners and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 will allow a limited number of homeowners who can’t afford their mortgage payments to refinance with government-backed loans. As many as 400-thousand families become eligible for help refinancing expensive mortgages. This will not help homeowners who have already been hit with foreclosure. The measure will also give the Bush administration new authority to control Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

"We look forward to put in place new authorities to improve confidence and stability in markets, and to provide better oversight for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said. "The Federal Housing Administration will begin to implement new policies intended to keep more deserving American families in their homes."

President Bush signed the bill with no invited Congressional guests despite the fact that Congress has not gone on their summer recess yet and is still in town.  The sweeping housing reforms passed with strong Republican and Democratic support.

At his Oval Office desk, President Bush was surrounded by a half dozen administration officials who will now have the authority to better supervise the big mortgage lenders, and help a limited number of families refinance their expensive mortgages. 

Most of all the president hopes this bipartisan package, being billed as one of the most significant pieces of housing legislation in decades, will steady the housing markets and give them a boost in confidence.

July 30, 2008 in Vote 2008: Democrats | Permalink | User Comments (21) | TrackBack (0)

McCain and Obama Have Already Spent Over $50 Million on General Election TV Ads

July 30, 2008 7:30 AM

ABC News' David Chalian Reports: It may only be July and Americans may be more tuned into summer vacation plans than the presidential election, but that hasn't stopped the two presidential campaigns from filling the airwaves in key battleground states with television ads hammering home their best selling points.  Since the end of the nomination season on June 3, more than a combined $50 million has been spent by the McCain and Obama teams to air more than 100,000 ads, according to a new report released by the Wisconsin Advertising Project.

Voters in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin are getting to see the most intense back and forth in the campaign ad wars for the June 3 - July 26 period studied in the survey.  John McCain is spending more than Barack Obama in those four key battleground states and the RNC is stepping in to help bolster McCain's message.  The DNC has yet to air a television ad in support of its presumptive nominee.  Despite Sen. Obama's enormous fundraising advantage over Sen. McCain, when the McCain spending total is combined with the RNC total, the Republican side has put $24.7 million into tv ad spending compared to the Obama's campaign $27 million bringing both sides to near parity.  In fact, when campaign ad spending is totaled in all the states where both candidates are on the air, John McCain is out-advertising Barack Obama.

Florida voters, who are accustomed to being in the presidential campaign spotlight, have only seen television advertising from Barack Obama.  The Democrat has poured more than $5 million on the Sunshine State airwaves since clinching his party's nomination, but -- to the surprise of some folks in Obama headquarters in Chicago -- that has not scared the McCain team into joining the expensive battle at this early juncture.

The Wisconsin Advertising Project rates each ad as positive or negative and found that over 90 percent of the ads aired by Obama are positive in nature and do not mention Senator McCain.  Approximately a third of the McCain campaign’s ads are negative, contrasting the two presidential candidates.

Far fewer ads were run in the same period in the 2004 contest when John Kerry and George Bush had put a combined 77,000 ads on the air.  The nomination season ended much earlier in 2004 and Kerry and Bush were communicating with a general election audience on tv as early as March of that year.  The study also finds that Sen. Obama has been delivering more focused messaging compared to his predecessor John Kerry.  In 2004, Kerry talked about 25 different issues between June 3 and July 26, while during a comparable period Obama has only mentioned 14 issues.

Some other findings:  To date, McCain has narrated 20 percent of the ads sponsored by his campaign, while Obama has narrated 51 percent of the ads sponsored by his campaign. 
In terms of issues, the two campaigns largely appear to be talking past each other. The top three issues that Senator Obama addressed in his television ads were jobs, welfare, and defense policy, respectively.  Senator McCain talked about energy policy, national defense, and economic recession in his ads.

Throughout the primaries Senator Obama labeled himself the candidate of change.  Since winning the Democratic nomination, however, less than 1 percent of his ads mention the word change.
Senator McCain used the word hope in over 34 percent of his ads, while Senator Obama has not used the word hope since June 3rd.

Once the target of much criticism for not wearing an American flag pin on his lapel, Senator Barack Obama featured the flag in over 68 percent of his ads. The flag appeared in approximately 37 percent of Senator McCain’s television advertisements.

July 30, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

Kaine: Obama's List 'Seems to Be Getting Shorter'

July 30, 2008 12:00 AM

ABC News' Teddy Davis, Tahman Bradley, and Ayana Harry Report: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) said Tuesday that Sen. Barack Obama's, D-Ill., list of possible vice presidential running mates "seems to be getting shorter".

"There has been a long list. It seems to be getting shorter. And I'm still being mentioned," said Kaine. "A lot can change day-to-day. But we'll see."

After Kaine commented on the media's VP list to a Virginia resident who was also visiting the carnival grounds on Chincoteague Island, Kaine friend Donna Mason, chimed in, saying of the governor, "I think he is at the top of the short list" to which Kaine chuckled without saying anything.

Kaine's discussion of the media's VP list "getting shorter" comes on the same day that The Washington Post reported that the Virginia governor has told close associates that he has had "very serious" conversations with Obama about joining the Democratic presidential ticket.

The Washington Post reported that Kaine has provided documents to Obama's campaign so that the governor's background can be thoroughly examined.

The newspaper reported that Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., are also being "seriously vetted" by Obama's campaign staff, according to sources with knowledge of the process.

Kaine, who took a leave-of-absence from Harvard Law School to work as a Catholic missionary in Honduras, made his comments about the media-created Obama VP list while visiting the carnival grounds on Chincoteague Island.

The Virginia governor is on the island with daughter Annella for the annual Chincoteague pony swim.

Kaine made his comments to Tom Derrickson, the part owner and general manager of the local Hampton Inn and Suites.

The account printed above comes from Kaine communications director Delacey Skinner who called Kaine to find out what he said after Derrickson notified ABC News by phone that he had spoken with the governor.

Derrickson was introduced to Kaine by Mason, a Kaine friend who owns the Waterside Motor Inn, the local hotel where Kaine is spending Tuesday night.

The conversation took place on the Chincoteague carnival grounds near the Tilt-a-Whirl. The governor did not get on the amusement ride but the governor's daughter and Mason's grandchildren did, according to Derrickson.

Kaine is slated to return to Richmond on Wednesday afternoon.

On Saturday, he is slated to go to a beach house at the Camp Pendleton military base in Virginia for a family vacation.

"It's kind of like gubernatorial equivalent of Camp David," said Skinner when asked to describe Kaine's vacation destination.

While Kaine is scheduled to be at Camp Pendleton until Friday, Aug. 8, he is slated to interrupt his vacation on Wednesday, Aug. 6, to join Michelle Obama for a presidential campaign fundraiser in Norfolk, Va.

July 30, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis, Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (238) | TrackBack (0)

McCain's VP Shortlist Short